Ore-washing machine.



No. 774,704. a PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904. G. SEBBRG.

ORE WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 1120.4. 1903. y no MODEL 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

witness No. 774,704. PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904.

- G. SEBERVG.

ORE WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1130.4, 1903. v

1' MODEL- I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UN TED STATES Patented November 8, 1904,

PATENT ()FFICE.

GUSTAVE SEBERG, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

ORE-WASHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,704, dated November 8, 1904. Applicati filed December 4,1903. Serial No. 183,801. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

ing or washing machine; and it consists of certain novel features of combination and construction of parts, the preferred form whereof will be hereinafter clearly set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

The prime object of my invention, among others, is to provide a machine of the character specified which while primarily designed and intended to meet the requirements and wants of miners in locations where water is scarce or difficult to obtaln will also be found reliably efficient under any and all circumstances for which an ore concentrator or washer is desirable. r

A further object of my invention is to work or treat a maximum amount of ore or mining product with a minimum amount of force or motive power and with a minimum amount of water, as above referred to.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter made clearly apparent, reference being had to-the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this application, and in which Figure 1 shows a top plan view of my invention completeready for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig.

. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of 5. V Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the lower portion of my machine, showing the parts on aslightly-enlarged scale from that illustrated in the lower part of Fig. 2.

The various elements of my invention and cooperating accessories will be designated by numerals, the same numeral applying to a corresponding part throughout the several views.

Briefly stated, my invention comprehends a machine having on its upper portion a receiving chamber or compartment provided with suitable agitating-blades, said receptacle being in communication with the downwardlyinclined and preferably spirally-disposed conveyer-chute or rifiie-box made water-tight and communicating with the water-tight receptacle located at the lower part of the machine, said lower receptacle being provided or in communication with a suitable pumping apparatus, preferably a worm adapted to elevate the water through the tube in which the worm rotates and also elevate particles of the undisintegrated ore, pay-dirt, and the like and deliver the water and ore, &c., into the main receptacle at the upper part of the machine, as above referred to, all of the parts below said upper receptacle being w ater-tight, whereby the entire machine may be kept filled with water up to or slightly above the central line of the upper receptacle, the upper portion of which is left open and placed in proper communication with the receiving chute or nozzle leading to the source of oresupply.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 designates suitable standards constituting the frame portion of my machine, said standards being preferably connected together by suitable braces 01' reinforcing-rods 2, as will be understood, whereby a proper rigidity to the supporting-frame is attained. On the upper part of the framework thus or otherwise provided I locate the main receptacle or body portion 3, which is preferably formed with an inclined bottom section, as will be clearly seen by reference to Fig. 5, the inclination of the bottom section being outward or away from the ore-receiving end thereof.

It will be observed that in cross-section, as

shown in Fig. 6, the receptacle 3 is semicirl and gather such metals as have. an afiinity cular in form, and within the same is dei signed to rotate the conveyer-blades or worm 4c, operatively connected in any preferred way to the shaft 5, which latter is mounted in suitable bearings, as indicated by the numerals 6 and 7, and is driven in any preferred 1 manner, as by the sprocket-wheel 8, as shown in Fig. 5 and other views.

Integrally formed with or otherwise connected to the receptacle 3 is the extension or ore-receiving compartment 9, which is preferably rectangular in general outline and is the ore-disintegrator or agitating drum or wheel 11, preferably made up of a plurality of ring-like members 12, having a series of square apertures designed to receive the square bars 13, said apertures for said bars being so formed that one edge of the square bar will be projected inward, so that said edges will tend to more thoroughly agitate and as a consequence disintegrate the ore, pay-dirt, and the like when the drum is turned, which turningis accomplished in any preferred way, as by means of the shaft 14, being connected with the end of the shaft 5 in any suitable manner, whereby the latter will be turned with it. It will be seen that the outer end of the drum-like chamber thus described is provided with a suitable trunnion or journal which finds a bearing in a contiguous part of the outer end of the receptacle 9, as indicated by the numeral 15 in Fig.

Inasmuch as the end section 12 is ring-likc in form the ore, pay-dirt, and the like passing through the receiving funnel or nozzle 10 is left free to flow directly into the revolving drum, inasmuch as said receiving-funnel is attached in any preferred way to the outer end of the receptacle 9, as by the bracket 16.

The bottom of the receptacle 9 is provided with an opening near its central part, and as the bottom is slightly inclined toward said opening it follows that the disintegrated particles of the ore and pay-dirt will drop downward through the openings between the bars 13 and find its way through the aperture in the bottom of the receptacle 9 and thence into the riffie-box 17, the bottom of which is provided with a plurality of transversely-disposed grooves 18 and with a corresponding plurality of similarly-disposed rib-sections 19, whereby the heavier metal, as gold, &c., will find a resting place in the groove members 18, the flow of the water being insufficient to carry the same over the intervening rib-section 19.

It is obvious that the bottom of the rifiiebox may be variously constructedas, for instance, some sections thereof may be provided with amalgamated plates adapted to arrest \Vithin the rec.

therefor-and it is further obvious that the groove members 18 may be partially filled with mercury, whereby greater efficiency will be imparted to the gathering capacity of my machine.

In order to provide a maximum length for my rifiie-box, I prefer to dispose the same in spiral form, winding the same around the framework 1 and properly supporting the same, as by the brackets 20, connected to the framework, and it therefore follows that a riflie-box of great length may be disposed within a comparatively small space. My riffle-box is also made entirely water-tight and leads downward into communication with a substantially circular chamber, as indicated by the numeral 21, an auxiliary chamber 22 being provided at the extreme lower end of said chamber 21, as will be more clearly seen by reference to Fig. 8 of the drawings, said auxiliary chamber consisting of the receptacle proper, 22, which is preferably open at its lower end and designed to telescope with the upwardly-directed flange or collar section 23, carried by the bottom 24, said bottom having projecting ears or laterally-extending flanges suitably apertured, whereby the locking-. blades 25 may be passed therethrough and also extended through similar ears or flanges 26, thus enabling the bottom 24 to be readily removed for cleaning out the accumulated tailings or pay-dirt, as the case may be.

Communicating with the chambers 21 and 22 is the stand-pipe 27, also made water-tight and extending upward to a level with the upper portion of the machine and communicating with the sluiceway 28, which latter is substantially horseshoe in form, inasmuch as it extends around the upper edge of the receptacle 3 to the opposite side of the machine, where it communicates with the angular extension 29, which latter communicates with the inner end of the receptacle 3, as will be more clearly seen by reference to Fig. 1.

The sluiceway 28 is formed integral with or attached to the upper edge of the receptacle 3, the fioor of said sluiceway being slightly elevated at its outer edge and provided with an outer wall 50. The inner wall of the sluiceway is designed to be adjustably secured to the floor 52 and held at a proper height above the same, as designed, the object being to provide an opening between the lower edge of the inner wall 51 and the floor-section 52, through which may pass the finer particles of the ore, it being understood that the heavier particles of the ore will pass entirely around the sluiceway and enter the receptacle 3 through the passage-way 29.

Suitable brackets 53 are secured to the floorseetion 52 at convenient intervals, to which the inner wall-section 51 is secured by means of bolts 54: or otherwise. The wall 51, adjacent to the brackets 53, is provided with a series of apertures 55 to receive the bolts 54:

and by which means said wall may be ad justed toward or away from the floor-section'52, thereby decreasing or increasing the opening 'at the lower edge of said inner wall.

Within the stand-pipe 27 thus or otherwise constructed I rotatably mount in suitable bearings, as indicated by the numeral 30, the elevating-shaft 31, which is provided with a worm or spirally-disposed blade 32 throughout its entire length or throughout only a portion thereof, as preferred and deemed productive of the best results, said shaft 31 being driven in any preferred way, as by a sprocket wheel or gear 33, placed in proper communication with the source of power.

All of the receptacles, including the pipe 20, the sluiceway, and the riflie-box, together with the receptacles 21 and 22, being entirely water-tight, it follows that all of said parts may be completely filled with Water, so that the same will rise to or above the median line of the receptacles 3 and 9, and said parts are all to be so maintained with a supply of water during the operation of my machine. I also provide an auxiliary means or aid to the agitation and disintegrating of the pay-dirt, said auxiliary means consisting of the agitatingbrushes 34. as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 7, said brushes being mounted in any preferred way, as upon the arms 34, said arms being carried by the sleeve 34 which latter is carried by the shaft 14:. I also provide for the inner end of the shaft 5 a pair of discharging devices or shovels 35, said shovels being designed to remove'the tailings or undisintegrated particles of ore and rock finding its way into the machine, said discharging devices consisting of suitable blades or shovels proper, 35, having an integrally-extending arm 35 designed to be pivotally connected to the arm 35", attached to the inner end of the shaft 5,

and it therefore follows that When the shaft 5 is rotated the blades or discharging devices 35 will be moved downward in engagement with the inner surface of a contiguous part of the receptacle 3 and lifting any particles of rock, undisintegrated ore, or the like and forcing the same over the edge of said receptacle. \Vhen the arms 35 reach their upward stroke, the position of said arm relative to the discharging devices 35 is illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 6.

part of the worms 32 to keep the ore in circulation.

While, as shown, the blades 36 are immediately below the stand-pipe 27, they will not necessarily retard the movement of the water through said pipe, owing to the slight rotating movement of said wings.

The rifl'le-box is provided throughout its length with a plurality of tongue-like members 37, one end of which is attached to the side walls of the rifIie-box, while the other end is bent inward and left free to extend toward the middle of the riflie-box, whereby the water and particles of ore, &c., carried thereby will be directed toward the central portion of the rifi le-box, and thus kept from lodgment against the walls thereof.

It is thought that the operation of my ore Washing and disintegrating machine will be clearly apparent, though it may be stated that after the machine has been completely filled with water in the manner above set forth the ore, pay-dirt, and the like will be introduced into the receptacle 9 by means of the receiving-nozzle 10, and since the receiving-drum, together with the shafts 5 and 31, is rotated the result will be that as said drum is half, more or less, immersed in water a complete agitation of the ore and pay-dirt deposited therein will follow, the brushes 34s facilitating the separation of the deposited matter, the liner particles of which will pass through between the bars 13 and thence downward over the inclined bottom of the spiral sluice-box, the larger undisintegrated particles and the dirt or soil passing downward into the cham ber 21, to be engaged and elevated by the worm 32, which induces an upward current in the stand-pipe 27, causing the lifted particles of ore, tailings, or the like to move upward into the sluiceway 28 and thence throughout said sluiceway, to be delivered into the inner end of the receptacle 3, when said parts will be acted upon by the worm or blades .i: and moved toward the inner end of the receptacle 3 into thepath of the discharging shovels or devices 35; carried by the shaft 5, as hereinbefore explained, said shovels or discharging devices being designed to lift the undisintegrated particles constituting the tailings of the machine upward and discharging the same over the side of the receptacle 3 into any suitable conveyer-chute. (Not shown.) It also follows that the undisintegrated particles and tailings too great in size to pass through between the bars 13 will pass through the open end of the drum into the inner end of the receptacle 3 and directly in the path of the discharging shovels or devices 35, to be elevated over the side of the receptacle and delivered from the shafts 5 and 31 are rotated, thus making it possible to use over and over again the water IIO employed in initially filling the machine, there being no loss whatever excepting that due to evaporation and the loss incident to absorption by the pay-dirt, 620.

While I have described the preferred combination and construction of parts deemed necessary in materializing my invention, I wish to comprehend in this application such substantial equivalents and substitutes as may be considered as falling fairly within the scope and purview of my invention.

Believing that the advantages, construction, and manner of using my improved ore washing and separating machine have thus been made clearly apparent, further description of the details is dispensed with.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described combined ore disintegrating and washing machine, comprising a suitable receptacle 3 having an extension 9 upon one end thereof, a receiving and agitating drum mounted within the latter receptaclc; an inclined, spiral sluiceway extending from the receptacle 9; a chamber 21 located at the lower end of said sluiceway, a standpipe extending from said chamber upward to the top of the machine; an elevating-shaft having suitable elevating devices comprising a worm secured near the bottom and top of said shaft and agitating-blades at the lower end thereof, located in said stand-pipe in combination with agitating devices in the receptacles 3 and 9 whereby when said receptacles, sluiceway, chamber and stand-pipe are filled with water the lifting devices within the standpipe will induce a continuous circulation of water through said parts, all substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

2. A gold washing and gathering machine consisting of a main reservoir supported by a suitable framework and having an extension on one end; an ore-agitator located in said extension; a shaft having a worm L secured thereto and adapted to actuate said agitator; a downwardly and spirally formed riflle-box communicating with said extension; a chamber 21 located at the bottom of the machine and connected to the lower end of the rifflebox; a stand-pipe communicating with said chamber and with the main reservoir and water and ore elevating devices in said standpipe whereby when said elevating devices are actuated a continuous upward flow of water and ore particles carried thereby will be moved upward and discharged into the main receptacle and thence into the riflie-box and downward into said chamber thereby forming a continuous current throughout the machine, all substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an ore agitator and washer, a rotating washer and separator having a receiving-noz- Zle adapted for the reception of pay-dirt direct from the shovel or fromthe stampingmill; a main receptacle 3 on a level and communicating with said rotating disintegratingwasher, said disintegrator and washer being provided with agitating-brushes 34: operatively mounted within the same and a receiving-chamber at the lower end of the machine and having a stand-pipe reaching upward to the main receptacle, said stand-pipe having a shaft extending throughout its entire length, said shaft being provided near its upper and lower ends with a worm elevating device, an agitator located in said receiving-chamber and secured to the lower end of said shaft with a worm or other equivalent elevating device; a water-tight riffie-box extending from the main receptacle to said chamber whereby when the main receptacle, rifHe-box and chamber are filled with water a continuous flow or current will be induced by the elevating devices, substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

4. The herein-described ore washer and separator, comprising a suitable frame; a main receptacle 3 and an extension thereof located at the upper part of the frame, said receptacle and extension communicating with each other; a rotating ore receiver and agitator located in said extension; a worm operatively mounted in said main receptacle; a chamber 21 located at the lower portion of said frame; a riflle-box spirally disposed around the frame and inclining downward and connected to said extension of the main receptacle and said chamber, all of said parts being water-tight; a plurality of alternating ribs and grooves formed in the bottom of the riffie-box and extending transversely therewith, in combination with a water-elevating device extending from said chamber upward into communication with a sluiceway 28 leading into the main receptacle and a discharging device 35 operatively connected with the worm-shaft of the main receptacle whereby tailings or refuse will be discharged from the main receptacle and a continuous flow of water induced throughout the machine, all substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

5. The herein-described ore washer and separator, comprising a receiving and agitating chamber located at the top of the machine; a settling-chamber located at the bottom of the machine; a water-tight rifl'le-box extending downward from the receiving and agitating chambers to the settling-chamber, a stand-pipe having a longitudinally-disposed rotatable shaft therein, a worm secured to said shaft adapted to elevate the water and ore particles in solution therewith from said chamber and discharge the same into the receiving and agitating chambers whereby a continuous flow of water will be induced through the riffle-boxes and thence upward into the agitating-chambers, all substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

6. In an ore-washing machine of the character specified, a main receptacle having an extension or auxiliary chamber 9 said main receptacle being provided at its upper edge with an eXteriorly-encircling sluiceway 28 substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

7. In an ore-Washing machine of the character specified, a main receptacle having an extension or auxiliary chamber 9, a sluiceway 28 surrounding the upper edge of said main receptacle, the inner Wall of said sluiceway being slightly elevated above the floor thereof, and means to adjustably secure said wall in position, substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

8. In an ore-Washing machine, a main receptacle, a sluiceway surrounding said receptacle, the floor and outer Wall thereof being formed integral with said receptacle, said floor-section being slightly inclined toward said main receptacle, aninner Wall and means to adjustably secure said inner wall above said floor-section, as set forth.

9. The herein -described ore Washer and separator, comprising a receiving and agitating chamber located at the top of the machine, a settling-chamber located at the bottom of the machine, spirally-disposed rifiieboXes built up in sections, connecting said agitating and settling chambers, the bottom of each section being provided With a plurality of transversely-disposed grooves, each succeeding rib -section interposed between said grooves being slightly higher than the last preceding rib-section whereby the metals will be more reliably gathered and held in said grooves, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GUSTAVE SEBERG.

Witnesses:

GEORGE ELHoLM, JOHN F. MILLER. 

